Occult HCV in Egyptian volunteer blood donors

The study aims to investigate the risk of post-transfusion transmission of hepatitis c virus [HCV] in the circumstances of occult HCV when anti-HCV is undetectable by ELISA and HCV-RNA is detected by RT-PCR in the plasma and or in peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMCs] of donor blood and the recipients are immunocompromised. The study covered 18 chronic renal failure patients [CRF] [12 males [66.7%] their age ranged from 28 to 65 years and 6 females [33.3%] their age ranged from 15 to 55 years] undergoing hemodialysis in Nile Hospital as part of their therapy have to receive blood transfusions [275 blood units] for the first time. Commercial ELISA kits for anti-HCV and nested-RT-PCR [N-RT-PCR] kits were used. Anti-HCV was positive in one serum from the eighteen [5.5%] poly transfused CRF patients at the end of the study while the seventeen sera were negative. This serum was also positive for HCV RNA by N-RT-PCR. Out of the 20 transfused blood units, one blood unit [three components] were tested by blood banking anti-HCV negative by ELISA, were positive for HCV RNA by N-RT-PCR. The collective markers of this blood unit represent an occult HCV. The risk of acquiring post-transfusion HCV infection from an occult HCV blood unit is 5%. Real time PCR showed variation in the viral load of the serum of the infected CRF patient, the plasma of blood unit, the PBMCs of this blood unit whether activated by PHA-M or not

Effects of the parasitic nematodes on total proteins and total lipids of ceratitis capitata Wied [diptera trypetidae]

Effects of Steinernema feltiae Filipjev nematode and associated bacteria on total protein content and total lipids of infected Ceratitis capitata Wiedmann were studied. The total proteins of infected insects were higher than controls whereas lipids were lower than uninfected ones. The highest increase in total proteins was after 4 and 18 hours post infection applying initial dosages 500 and 100 nematode per insect respectively.The lowest decline in total lipids was after 18 hours post infection using initial dosages 100 nematode